Back to Me. Earl Sewell

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СКАЧАТЬ that this is an appropriate time to discuss this. You have nothing to be ashamed of,” she assured me.

      At that moment, I wanted to push away from the table and storm out of the room, but I knew that wouldn’t go over very well with my aunt.

      “Seriously, can’t we just talk about this issue later?” I tried pleading with her in hopes she’d catch my drift.

      “What is wrong with you, Viviana? It’s just a simple question,” my aunt said, pressing the issue.

      “Yeah, Viviana. I’d also like to know what school you went to,” Maya interjected. “Were you on the cheerleading squad? No. Scratch that question. You don’t look like the cheerleading type. Maybe you were on the school dance team? You seem to know how to dance like a—”

      Aunt Raven cut her off before she finished. “Maya!”

      “What? I was going to say like a trained professional,” Maya smirked. I could tell from her condescending grin that her comment was loaded with sarcasm.

      “Now, Viviana, what’s the name of the school where you were last registered?” Aunt Raven wasn’t going to let our conversation rest. I really didn’t want to tell her, because I was carrying a secret I was certain she’d find inexcusable.

      “Roberto Clemente,” I answered, not wanting to offer any more information than necessary.

      “So, you should’ve finished your junior year, right?” My aunt had asked the question that I had hoped she wouldn’t. I stopped eating my food and exhaled loudly. I shot my eyes over at Maya, who was glaring at me as if she were trying to read my thoughts. When I didn’t answer, she made her own assumptions.

      “OMG,” Maya blurted out.

      Startled, Aunt Raven asked, “What?”

      “Mom, isn’t it obvious? She didn’t finish her junior year.” Miss Know-It-All Maya Rogers pointed her shameful finger at me. I wanted to rip it off and shove it up her nose until it came out of her eye socket.

      “You shouldn’t talk about things you don’t know about!” I snapped.

      “Wait a minute. There is no need to argue or get nasty with each other. Viviana Anita Vargas, is what Maya said true?” My aunt had called me by my full name. I took my eyes off of Maya and cut them over to Aunt Raven.

      “No,” I answered her.

      “Good. I’ll look up the address of the school and request a copy of your transcript. I’ll have to figure out how I’ll explain to them that I’m your current guardian.”

      “I haven’t been there in a long time. They probably don’t have it anymore,” I said, hoping that the administrators and teachers had completely forgotten about me.

      “It’s because you’ve been on summer vacation, right?” asked Anna.

      I glanced at her briefly before lowering my eyes with humility. Embarrassment began swelling in my heart like the sun rising in the morning. I felt as if I were being judged.

      “Viviana, hold your head up and stop slouching. There is no need to look as if someone has beaten the life out of you,” said Aunt Raven.

      “I didn’t attend school for most of my junior year. I haven’t earned the credits needed to pass, okay? Are you guys happy now? I said it!” It was very hard for me to admit that. It was an awful burden weighing on my heart.

      “That explains a lot,” Maya remarked and snickered.

      My humiliation immediately evaporated. I wanted to reach across the table and scratch up her face like a dog digging a hole in the backyard. I slammed my hand against the table and rose to my feet. I was ready to leap across the table and kick her butt for making me feel like crap. “I’ve got more smarts than you’ll ever know about, Maya!” I barked at her.

      “Hey, hey, hey!” Aunt Raven wasn’t about to let my hostility go unchecked. “There is absolutely no need for that. Maya apologize to her.”

      “What for?” she asked.

      “For being so insensitive.”

      “You’re kidding, right?” Maya looked as if she’d just been asked to pick up dog crap with her bare hands.

      “No, I’m not.”

      Reluctantly, Maya mumbled, “Sorry.”

      Aunt Raven released a deep sigh as she pinched the bridge of her nose with her thumb and forefinger. “Okay. So, you haven’t been in school for a while. How did that happen?” she asked.

      Shrugging my shoulders, I said, “It just did. Mom was always moving. She’d pack our things at the drop of a dime and move on. It didn’t matter if I was in the middle of the school year or not.”

      Aunt Raven focused on me and remained silent for a long moment. It was as if she wanted to say something but didn’t know exactly how to phrase her words.

      “It’s not that serious,” I snapped. I wanted to disappear. I reasoned with myself that it would be best for me to go back to the city and do my own thing. I didn’t need or want their pity. I hustled toward the back door that led out to the driveway. I was more than willing to hitchhike all the way back to Chicago, to Grandmother Esmeralda’s house.

      “Viviana!” I heard Aunt Raven call my name, but I ignored her.

      Just as I was about to sprint down the driveway, I saw an old, brown, rusted-out Chevy pickup truck pulling in.

      “Who in the hell is this?” I heard Aunt Raven ask from behind me.

      “I have no idea,” I said, trying to make out the face of the driver. It was difficult to do because of the sun’s glare reflecting off the windshield.

      “They must be lost or something,” said Aunt Raven as she walked toward the vehicle.

      The car came to a halt, and the passenger door swung open. I was in total shock when I saw my mom step out of the truck. I rushed toward her, happy to see that she was okay. I wrapped my arms around her, not caring about the stench of cigar smoke that had saturated her clothing. I stepped out of our embrace to look at her once more. She was wearing a burgundy top with white capri pants that were see-through. I could see the pink-and-white-striped underwear she had on. It was without question a major fashion mistake, even I knew, but my mother probably thought it made her look sexy.

      “It’s so good to see you, Mom. I’ve missed you,” I admitted, embracing her again and holding on to her even tighter.

      “I’ve missed you, Vivi,” my mother said, calling me by the nickname she’d given me.

      Not wanting to let go of her, I said, “I want to go with you.”

      Ignoring my comment, she said, “Look at you, Viviana, living all fancy with your cousins.” She admired Aunt Raven’s house as if she were visiting for the first time.

      “Will we ever get a house like this?” I asked, hoping she’d somehow been able to do better.

      “Someday, СКАЧАТЬ